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Business Beat

Sustainable Papers, Cartons Debut at Luxe Pack New York

Sustainability was a big focus at the recent Luxe Pack New York trade show, particularly among paper and carton suppliers.

Monadnock Paper Mills Inc. (Bennington, NH) unveiled its new Envi sustainable paperboard line for folding cartons, setup boxes, luxury shopping bags, paperboard tubes, and hangtags. The first stock to debut in the line, Envi folding box board (FBB), is an 18-point single-ply uncoated paperboard made with 80% postconsumer recycled (PCR) waste. This is one of the highest recycled-content levels available for single-ply, high-caliper uncoated paperboard, according to Monadnock. The company says that 100% PCR fibers are currently weak and result in cracking along a carton’s creases.

The Envi line also carries Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. This guarantees that the fiber in Envi is sourced and managed in an environmentally friendly manner. In addition, up to 45% of the electricity used to manufacture Envi is hydroelectric.

“The Envi FBB choice with postconsumer recycled content at 80% and with FSC certification will bring our options to a new level,” said John Delfausse, vice president of packaging development, The Estée Lauder Companies.

Also at Luxe Pack, Neenah Paper (Neenah, WI) featured new PCR paper for bags. One of them, a smooth-finish paper, contains 80% PCR. The paper’s pearlescent look is the result of eco-friendly inert mica.

Carton converters also promoted sustainable options. AGI/Klearfold (New York City) reported that six to eight marketers are in the process of evaluating its corn-based polylactic acid (PLA) plastic cartons, which took more than two years to bring to market.

Patrick McGee, marketing manager for AGI/Klearfold, said, “Because it’s such a new substrate, companies have been very thorough in their evaluations of it.”

Another carton converter working with environmentally friendly substrates is Ileos’s two carton divisions, Seufert Transparente Verpackungen GmbH and Alliora. The suppliers have been working with PETR, which is PET resin with approximately 70% PCR.

ICG Holliston’s (Church Hill, TN) new Luminaire 100% natural cloth material can be used to decorate the outside of a carton. The cloth is composed primarily of cotton, vegetable starches, and solvent-free coatings.

Nathalie Grosdidier, managing director of Luxe Pack, said that the trade show was the perfect place to debut these eco-friendly wares. “The luxury goods market leads the way in packaging trends, and these are often the companies that can afford to create sustainable packaging,” she said. “Luxe Pack is a source for this emerging trend.”

CPC Packaging to Moderate HBA’s Contract Packaging Conference

CPC Packaging will moderate a contract packaging conference at the upcoming HBA Global Expo trade show in September. The session will cover topics such as the pros and cons of contract packaging, how and when to choose a contract packager, and the range of services that contract packagers provide.

The three presenters will be Rihaz Z. Chughatta, executive vice president of Equity Packaging Inc., a global packaging development and engineering outsourcing firm; Douglas Miller, production and operations manager for Beauty Avenues; and Johan Pot, vice president of business development for Quick-Pak.

The session will take place on Wednesday, September 19, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.

Armani Fragrance Ties for FiFi’s Best Packaging Award

Giorgio Armani’s Privé Cuir Amethyst fragrance was the big best packaging winner at The Fragrance Foundation’s FiFi awards. The unisex fragrance won in both the women’s and men’s prestige categories, tying with two other fragrances.

In addition to Armani’s fragrance, KenzoAmour received the best packaging women’s prestige award. Designed by Karim Rashid, the slender bottle was designed after an abstract bird. Produced by Saint-Gobain Desjonquères (New York City), the glass bottle was lacquered in three different colors for each of the three bottle sizes. Four layers of enamel were needed to create the right degree of opacity on each bottle.

The lacquered Surlyn cap for KenzoAmour was particularly innovative. Rather than being hollow, the cap is solid Surlyn throughout, making it feel as heavy as glass.

“We at Kenzo Parfums are ex­tremely pleased that this fragrance is being recognized for the qualities that define the spirit of Kenzo Parfums—nature, modernity, and originality,” said Philippe Lesne, general manager for Kenzo Parfums North America, who accepted the award.

In the men’s prestige category, L’Oréal’s Viktor & Rolf Antidote fragrance shared the best packaging award with Armani Privé. Designed by Fabien Baron, the bottle was molded by Bormioli Rocco with beveled edges. According to Ulli Lindauer, vice president of marketing for L’Oréal European Designer Fragrances, “We wanted a perfect glass bottle with beveled edges so that all of the sides would reflect each other like mirrors.”

The bottle’s cap and collar, decorated with the line’s trademark black seal, were supplied by Axilone (New York City); the pump by MeadWestvaco Calmar (City of Industry, CA); and the carton by French converter Autajon.

The best packaging winners in the popular appeal category were Secrets D’Essences Voile d’Ambre by Yves Rocher for women, and Avon’s Derek Jeter Driven for men. Suppliers for Driven included Heinz Glas (Linden, NJ), Seidel GmbH + Co. (Marburg, Germany), Emsar (Stratford, CT), and AGI/Klearfold (New York City).

The FiFi awards ceremony was held May 31 in New York City.

Exhibit Provides Insight on Japanese Package Design

A recent exhibit showcasing packages from Japanese supermarkets was designed to inspire package designers, including those who design beauty packaging. The “Suupaa Pop!” exhibit featured packaging for cosmetics, food, and fragrances. Notably, many packages for Japanese food looked upscale enough to be beauty packages for U.S. shelves—a possible result of Japan’s gift-giving culture in which even the simplest items are beautifully wrapped.

Attendee Eduardo Nau, purchasing manager at Elizabeth Arden, noticed shrink sleeves for beverage bottles that were printed with vibrant images of fruit and said that these would look at home on personal care shelves. “The beautiful graphics used on some of these packages make them appear to be part of an upscale spa line. When you look more closely, you realize they are actually drinks,” commented Nau. Another item that appeared to be a drink was actually a body lotion packaged in a drink pouch.

Another example was a type of package that might be used to house fancy bath salts but was instead designed for a dried seaweed salad. This package featured a white and green paperboard carton shaped like an envelope, with a tiny green bow. (To read about more items from the exhibit, see this month's In Closing story.)

Thomas Jonas, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Alcan Packaging Beauty, said that the exhibit was an example of how other industries can serve as resources for beauty package designers. “This is how new ideas are inspired—from unexpected mixes,” he said. Jean-Paul Imbert, president of fragrance and cosmetics Americas at Alcan Packaging Beauty, organized a reception that was held during the exhibit.

The event was held at the AIGA National Design Center in New York City on May 17. It was hosted by design firm Desgrippes Gobe.

 

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